Technical Lead - NPI Engineer MMS (Electro-mechanical)

Location: Bangalore - Indraprastha, IndiaThales people architect solutions that enable two-thirds of planes to take off and land safely. We create in-flight entertainment systems that engross 50 million fliers every year and we develop the avionics that control the world’s largest commercial aircrafts. Our simulators train the next generation of pilots for fighter jets, transporters and search and rescue helicopters. And, together, each and every member of our aerospace team makes a difference.Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and has operational offices and sites spread across Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune among others. Over 1800 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Transport, Aerospace and Digital Identity and Security markets.

Technical Lead - NPI Engineer MMS (Electro-mechanical)

Job Description

Primary Purpose of the Role

Thales is expanding its presence in India through the development of a Group Engineering Competence Centre (ECC), reinforcing its position as a leader in all its markets. Launching in early 2019 in Bengaluru, the ECC will expand Thales’ footprint in its core business areas and cement its long-standing relationship with India.

Strong of more than 500 engineers as of today, ECC will grow to >1200 by 2029.

This role is part of the Industrial Process Engineering function within the AVS-FLX team. The position is Technical Lead NPI Engineer – Electromechanical Components responsible for managing the introduction of new products and overseeing industrial transfer activities.

AVS-FLX has an objective to expand industrial process engineering function in India ensuring remote engineering support to FLX Industry and preparing industrial footprint expansion in the region. Achieving a high level of maturity for our products in production is one of the major challenges of the AVS/FLX industry, both during the industrialization phase and throughout the product's life cycle. Supplier Industrialization in India is the core area in Industrial Footprint expansion.

You will join the Supplier Industrialization team responsible to develop & production of Thales Parts/Products at Supplier End.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• NPI - You work Closely with Design Team from India/France to understand the design requirement & then work with Suppliers(India/Asia) to manufacture the Electro & Mechanical Parts complaint with Thales requirements
• Industrial Transfer - You are responsible to reindustrialize the production from Global Location to India/Asia Suppliers.

Detailed Responsibilities Below:

Project Planning and Execution

• Lead project planning and execution from industrial assessment through production readiness.
• Develop project schedules with clear milestones, aligned with cost, quality, and delivery (QCD) targets.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams including design, purchasing, quality, logistics, and supplier representatives.
• Track project status, identify risks, and drive mitigations to maintain on-time industrialization.
• Review and validate supplier process flows, PFMEAs, control plans, and work instructions.
• Support or lead process qualification activities (FAI/FAIR, dimensional studies, capability validation).
• Ensure robust selection and validation of equipment, jigs, fixtures, and tooling at supplier end.
• Support product design reviews with DFM/DFA feedback to ensure manufacturability and process optimization.

Technical Management

• Ensure supplier processes comply with standards such as ISO 9001, AS9100, and relevant Thales specs.

Quality Assurance & Risk Management

• Validate critical-to-quality (CTQ) parameters and inspection plans at supplier facilities.
• Monitor supplier KPIs and ensure process capability (Cp, Cpk) is achieved and sustained.
• Lead root cause analysis (8D, Ishikawa, 5 Whys) for process or quality issues during development or ramp-up.
• Drive implementation of corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Conduct process and product audits and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.

Communication And Reporting

• Serve as the primary point of contact for internal teams, suppliers, and clients regarding project status and issues.
• Provide regular project updates and reports to senior management.
• Facilitate meetings, review sessions, and project documentation audits.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify cost reduction opportunities to improve design, manufacturing, and assembly processes.
• Implement best practices and lessons learned to enhance project efficiency and product quality.
• Stay current with industry trends, technologies, and standards.

The position is based in Bangalore, with frequent travel to supplier sites across Bangalore and other locations within India.

Major Challenges

• Ensure Supplier Schedule meets global industrial expansion plan & Timeline.
• Work with Design team of France in a different Time Zone & ECC Bangalore
• Work with multiple Suppliers/multiple projects in tandem for Process Qualification
• Continuously Develop the required technical skills (skilling-up) and capability by effective learning
• Promote collaboration within the team for Technology Specialist, Component Engineers
• Work with Multi Stakeholders (Design/Purchase/Supply chain/Production Engineers)

Opportunities

• The chance to work in an organization that is driving towards building a structured engineering footprint in line with Thales’ growth and competitiveness ambition
• The chance to be in contact with people having different cultural background from all across the world
• A young and enthusiastic team looking to take new interesting projects on board
• A working environment that facilitates professional development through continuous learning, close collaboration within teams and a solution-oriented attitude
• An opportunity to work in Bengaluru, the innovation and technological hub of India

Organization

Skills & Knowledge Required

Project Management:

• Must have experience in technologies qualification plan definition and execution in order to increase technology maturity from TRL3-4 to TRL 5-6
• Must have experience in electronic manufacturing readiness definition and execution in order to increase process maturity from MRL2-4 to MRL7-8
• Must have experience to ensure the realization of your batch in the objective of the targeted RC series, the mastery of NRC industrialization and the provision of production lines of all means of production and testing
• Experience managing full lifecycle of Electro & mechanical industrialization projects.
• Strong ability to drive multi-supplier, multi-product programs.
• Skilled in planning, scheduling, risk management, and stakeholder communication.
• CNC Machining (turning, milling, precision grinding)
• Sheet metal forming, bending, stamping
• Welding and brazing (manual/automated)
• Casting and forging processes
• Surface treatments (anodizing, plating, powder coating)

Technical Expertise:

Mechanical:

• Dimensional and geometrical tolerance (GD&T)

Electronics:

• Strong understanding of PCB design and manufacturing processes, including multilayer boards, flex and rigid-flex PCBs.
• In-depth knowledge of PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) processes: SMT, through-hole, wave soldering, reflow soldering, and inspection techniques.
• Understanding of testing methodologies for PCBs and PCBA: AOI (Automated Optical Inspection), ICT (In-Circuit Test), functional testing.
• Knowledge of materials, components, and supply chain relevant to PCB & PCBA.
• Materials (metals, composites, fasteners, seals, etc.)
• Tooling and fixturing concepts
• Equipment capability and preventive maintenance strategies
• Mastery of quality tracking tools for processes: FMEA, monitoring plan, MSA
• Knowledge of APQP methodology
• Practice of analysis and problem-solving techniques (PDCA, 8D,)
• Knowledge of DFx approach (Design For Manufacturing, Test, Repair,).

Familiarity With:

• Dfm/Dfa Principles

• Plm Tools

Quality Tools:

Design For Manufacturing:

• Knowledge of EN9100 standard requirements
• Knowledge of APQP requirements, particularly aerospace standard EN9145
• Ensure full collaboration and interaction within ECC and country stakeholders

Soft Skills

• Proactive mindset with the ability to deliver results despite challenges or adversities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with diverse teams and stakeholders
• Dynamic and flexible, able to adapt quickly to changing priorities and environments.
• Ability to work with deadlines and without supervision
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, Logical thinking
• Adaptability and learning skills
• Negotiation and networking skills
• Cost conscious and frugal thinking
• Multi- Disciplinary team working
• Strong willingness to interact with different stakeholders
• 8-10 years in supplier industrialization, NPI, Mechanical (Preferred) & Electronic Manufacturing Industry
• Experience in aerospace  or high-precision mechanical industries is preferred

Years Of Experience

Educational Qualification

• Bachelor  in Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering or related field

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working. Great journeys start here, apply now!